Pearl Merchant Chest

This rare pearl merchant's chest, al bishtaktah, exemplifies the importance of pearling in Qatar in the 18th century. It is probably the earliest known pearl chest in the Gulf. Numerous others exist in the National Museum of Qatar’s collection and elsewhere, but nearly all date to the early 20th century, with a few from the late 19th century. This one was discovered in a rubbish deposit, indicating it had reached the end of its working life. Its compartmented interior survives, a characteristic feature of the bishtakhta, but it has lost its lid. The iron lock is still in place, with a fragment of the key. Traces of red textile suggest it may have been covered and lined with cloth. We know from later sources that pearl merchants carried not only their pearls and money in these chests, but also the vital tools of their trade, including specialised pearl weights of various types, scales, graded sieves for sorting pearls by size, scoops to pick up batches of pearls, and a book of tables to assist in calculating the value of large pearls. Many contained secret compartments.